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Middlesbrough v Sunderland, Wednesday 19:45, ITV1

Steve Bruce certainly wasn't universally popular on Wearside, so Ellis Short and co can be satisfied with their work in identifying the best available successor, as two months in, boyhood Sunderland fan Martin O'Neill appears incapable of doing any wrong.

He has guided them to seven wins in ten Premier League games, including five in their last six, and up from 18th to eighth, but all that will be overshadowed if he manages to do something even more unlikely: make them a threat in the FA Cup again.

The two-time winners haven't reached the fifth round since the painful experience of losing a semi-final to Millwall in 2003-04, beating just one Football League team in seven years prior to their third-round victory at Peterborough in O'Neill's first FA Cup tie.

Though it was followed by a disappointing 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light, that result suggests that the former Aston Villa boss - who led them to the semi-finals two seasons ago - is on the right track.

Boro have gone five fixtures without success in all competitions, winning none of their last three at home to sides in their division or higher, so with the Black Cats in terrific form, 2.04 is a tasty price on them getting it right at the second attempt.

Sunderland clean sheet

The correlation between Middlesbrough's slump and their recent struggle to score is clear to see, Marvin Emnes' only goal in three months coming against Shrewsbury, Lucas Jutkiewicz yet to open his account and Scott McDonald primarily netting on his travels.

The consequence is a pitiful tally of four strikes in their last seven matches at the Riverside Stadium and successive blanks there. It's a record that Sunderland's defence will be hopeful of prolonging, having conceded just twice in six encounters. They are 2.6 to keep a clean sheet and 3.15 to triumph to nil.

Best Bet: Sunderland to win @ 2.04
Other Recommended Bet: Sunderland to win to nil @ 2.15

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